Carpeting is now extensively used in vehicles of all types. Automobiles have long been built by the manufacturer with carpet. Other vehicles including vans, pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles typically now also come equipped with carpet in the driver and passenger areas as well as in a back cargo area. The carpeting is usually a high quality item designed to look and feel nice. The carpet must also be very durable, given its nature of use. The aesthetic and construction requirements of vehicle carpet necessitates relatively expensive raw goods in the original production of the carpet.
Adding to the expensive nature of the carpet is the fact it must be installed in a small but very irregular shaped area. Automobiles typically have a power train center hump extending along the interior floor area. Additionally, a front foot area is almost always sloped where a firewall is located. More abrupt direction changes occur at wheel well areas and side areas. Such irregular shapes are difficult to cover with a normally planar carpet material. Substantial cutting, piecing and sewing of the carpet has to be done, or in recent years, molding specially backed carpet to produce a carpet shaped to fit the surface it covers. Replacement of the original carpet is even more expensive due to the need to remove seats, etc.
For the above reasons, purchasers of new automobiles quite often buy auxiliary floor mats to cover at least the carpeted front floor area. Floor mats to cover the carpeted back seat floor and cargo compartment areas are also often purchased. The floor mat's primary purpose is to protect the underlying carpeted floor. However, the floor mat itself must look attractive. It is necessary that the floor mat neatly fit the surface area it covers. Folds, wrinkles and buckles in the mats are not tolerated. The floor surfaces of most automobiles built in recent years are three dimensional and in the form of a floor well. As a result, it is a relatively easy task to form auxiliary floor mats to fit the surface areas without particular concern with folds, etc. and without undue concern with mat movement.
Vans, pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles are becoming increasingly popular with the general driving public. They are no longer being used just for light commercial usage. As a result, their floors are also being carpeted. However, the floors of such vehicles do not typically have a floor well. The floors, other than at the firewall or center hump areas, are more flat and substantially even with an exterior door sill. Producing floor mats at a reasonable cost to neatly fit such a floor and capable of remaining in place, yet removable for cleaning purposes, has been difficult.
There has now been developed an auxiliary floor mat for van, pickup truck and sport utility vehicle use which fills a great need. In accord with the need, the floor mats of this invention are contoured to neatly fit any floor compartment area and are produced at an acceptable cost.